# Is "The Colossus and Other Poems (US)" by Sylvia Plath a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Colossus and Other Poems (US) by Sylvia Plath (Alfred A. Knopf, 1962) is identified by: First American edition, Knopf, 14 May 1962; the US text drops ten poems from the UK edition (including most sections of 'Poem for a Birthday'). The Knopf 1962 is the first AMERICAN edition only.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First American edition, Knopf, 14 May 1962; the US text drops ten poems from the UK edition (including most sections of 'Poem for a Birthday')
- Knopf first printing carries the Borzoi colophon and the 'First American Edition' statement per Knopf convention
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Sylvia Plath |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1962 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First American edition, Knopf, 14 May 1962; the US text drops ten poems from the UK… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First American edition, Knopf, 14 May 1962; the US text drops ten poems from the UK edition (including most sections of 'Poem for a Birthday'). Knopf first printing carries the Borzoi colophon and the 'First American Edition' statement per Knopf convention.

## Is this the true first?
The Knopf 1962 is the first AMERICAN edition only. The true first is the William Heinemann UK edition, published 31 October 1960 in a print run of about 500 copies. Collectors nonetheless treat the Knopf as the US first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Colossus and Other Poems (US)* by Sylvia Plath a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-colossus-and-other-poems-us
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.